The present invention is related to a system for rapidly alerting medical professionals of the medical history of a patient in the event of an emergency. The present invention is also related to a method of alerting emergency personnel of pertinent medical facts related to a patient.
In a crisis or emergency situation the patient, family or friends are often unable to provide essential information to the paramedics in a quick accurate and precise manner. The patient may not be able to communicate, may be in intense pain, may have difficulty breathing and is often traumatized to the extent that they are unable to answer the vital questions necessary to aid in their immediate care or answer incorrectly.
The first minutes of a medical emergency are critical. When Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel arrive at the scene valuable time can be lost gathering information about the patient, medications being taken, health history, and even why they were called to the scene. Often the people at the scene are not aware of the medical history of the patient, the patient may be alone or the patient may be unconscious.
In an emergency situation the patient may be transported to an unfamiliar hospital where they are treated by doctors that are not familiar with them or their problems/history. Emergency medicine has evolved from the family doctor meeting you in the Emergency Room, to not even admitting patients at the hospital. Not only may the patient have an MD that is unfamiliar with the medical history of the patient but an unfamiliar nurse practitioner may be seeking to obtain a medical history from a patient who is unable to provide adequate answers.
It is required by The Joint Commission, Medicare, and the hospital to have a dictated history and physical of the patient by every doctor that is called in to see the patient on consult. These records are available from the hospital medical records department along with other medical records by just providing a signed release of information form. Unfortunately, the location of these records may not be known.
There has been a long standing need for a system of alerting emergency personnel to critical medical conditions of the patient. There has also been a long standing need for a method of alerting emergency personnel to critical medical conditions of a patient.